


Icy Revelations

by ZenHeyerdall



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, and also verin suspects about essek and caleb, spoilers from chapter 117, still sucking at summaries, these brothers need help, verin also joins the club of " we just met jester lavorre but I would kill for her"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:35:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27728195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZenHeyerdall/pseuds/ZenHeyerdall
Summary: Verin doesn't know what he's doing with his brother in Vurmas it's cold and he's getting bored but when visitors shows up he end ups knowing some new things about Essek.
Relationships: Essek Thelyss & Verin Thelyss
Comments: 3
Kudos: 93





	Icy Revelations

**Author's Note:**

> I saw so many theories about Verin being at Vurmas that I had to write something.

It's fucking cold, he's pretty sure he's never been in a place so cold in his life and the worst thing is that Verin doesn't even know what he's doing there.

When Essek asked him to join him to the Vurmas outpost, he hadn't given him many details about what they were going to do in that place, he had only asked him to accompany him in case something went wrong. But what was it supposed to go wrong for his brother to ask him for help? Verin knew that his brother was a talented wizard and that in a life-threatening situation he would be quite capable of defending himself so his presence was confusing to him at best. Also, Vurmas is not especially the most dangerous outpost they have, mostly because the Kryn Dynasty has tried to hide it from the Empire as best they can, it's almost a place to spread the word of Luxon and win new believers than a place like Bazzoxan.

But it was a nice change, despite the cold, after spending time in Bazzoxan, to be able to see a different landscape, new in fact because he didn't remember ever being there in his life and if Essek had been, he hadn't mentioned it.

He thought that at least it would be nice to have some conversation with his brother and to be able to find out how things were going with his investigations, it had been so long that they hadn't spoken that he felt that he no longer knew him. And many times Verin regretted that, things hadn't always been that way between them and he thought that maybe they could start to fix the gap between them.

But ...nothing was happening and he was bored.

Nothing was happening and he didn't know very well what the two of them were doing there, Essek's mission, supposedly, was to supervise that outpost and inform the dynasty that everything was fine and that there was nothing to worry about. It was pure routine, really, but it surprised him that it was his brother, considering his position in the dynasty, who was in charge of that.

He felt like there was something he was missing or hadn't been told about.

But he didn't want to think about it much, his brother was someone complicated and he knew very well that he didn't know all his secrets or what was going through his head, nor did he wanted to because he understood that each one had their own weight to carry. Would he have liked to be able to help him with whatever was on his mind? Yes, but he wasn't going to force Essek to confess something he wasn't ready for. There was no one in the world capable of forcing his brother to do something against his will, not even the Umavi, and mother, of both could.

Essek had been acting weird since they had met , yes of course, for him his brother had always been weird but there was something strange about him. At first he had seemed worried, nervous, as if he expected something that didn't happen and when he had asked him if he was okay, he had told him not to worry that they were personal matters. Which hadn't exactly left Verin less worried, it wasn't that he believed that his brother was incapable of showing any emotion but it was strange to see him that way. Verin could count on the fingers of one hand, and he had a couple left over the times he had seen him like this. And then he stopped looking like that, he seemed rather anxious, he reminded him of his mother when he expected an important visit.

So in the end he had to approach him while they were strolling by one of the ships that made up Vurmas (he thought it was New Radiance, but he wasn't sure ), because he thought maybe something was happening at the outpost and he was supposed to help too, or at least, help him.

"Essek, is everything okay?"

His brother, still walking, tilted his head as if he didn't understand his question.

"What do you mean?" he asked in response.

“You look less ... worried, I guess” he explained “something happened but I don't really know what it is. I know we aren't very close but Inoticed that something is happening to you and if you need help ... you can count on me "

"Oh, yes, something happened, indeed" his brother confirmed. And seeing that Verin kept looking at him, waiting for him to say something else, he added "I have received a message from some friends that I hadn't heard from for a while"

Well, that was unexpected.

Verin looked at his brother, looked at him perhaps like he hadn't done in years, searching for something in his face to indicate that he was teasing him. Since when did Essek have friends? Friends, plural, more than one.

"You have friends? Since when? " He couldn't even hide the surprise in his voice.

"Try not to sound so surprised by it, please" he scolded him"They're the Mighty Nein, the group that returned on of the Luxon Beacons to us and helped finish the war ... as our Den offered a house to them as a way of appreciation for their services, I have been helping them... acclimate to their new home. A few weeks ago they went on a personal mission and I hadn't heard from them until today "

"Yeah, I've heard of them," he admitted. Verin rolled his eyes, how hard it was sometimes to get his brother to speak "I mean, you were worried because they had gone to that place and you hadn't heard from them for a long time, right? Did they tell you something about where they were?"

"I was" there was no reason to hide that because Essek had already admitted that to his younger brother "yes, they are all fine ... it turns out that they are here"

"Here?" he asked him "In Vurmas?"

"Not ... here ..." here ", Verin" replied the older one, this being the one who rolled his eyes that time "In Aeor"

"What? What are they doing here? " because he personally couldn't think of what they could do for that place unless they were interested in excavations and relics.

"They want my help with an issue," he explained, "they wanted to meet me at some point along the way but I can't move from here"

"So you really don't know what they want" observed his brother.

"They have mentioned some names that are familiar to me," he explained, "I have told them that they are free to come and visit."

"Oh! So are we waiting for them ?" Verin tried to contain how interested he was in the sudden visit from his brother's friends.

"Maybe" Essek replied "they are likely to come but I don't know when they are going to do it either"

"So ... we just wait ...?" he had good patience, generally, but he wanted so much to see these people that he regretted having to wait an indeterminate time.

"We continue working and we wait, that's what we do" he informed him.

That was more saying than doing because it wasn't as if much was happening in Vurmas, at least in Bazzoxan there was a slight threat that something would come out through the Umbra Gates and break the peace and monotony of the place. But in that outpost there wasn't much he could do other than follow Essek on his boring day.

He even considered starting a snowball fight but the look his brother gave him when he saw his intentions that seemed to say "Verin, you are a respetable man, you should behave" was enough to make him lose the desire.

Until something broke Verin's boredom.

* * *

They weren't together at the time it happened, both brothers had retired to their respective rooms given during the duration of their stays in that outpost. He thought that Essek was studying and he, well, had nothing better than sharpening his sword, concentrating on it when he heart his brother walk out into the hall and talk to someone. Verin, moved by curiosity, poked his head around the door, to hear what he was saying.

“Ah, good to know you have arrived, Jester. Just wait a moment, I'm going out to find you ”and after saying that, Essek put on his clothes better, as if he wanted to give an impeccable image to that woman, Jester.

"Leaving without me, brother?" he asked.

"And you? Are spying on me? " he replied .

"I can hardly ignore you when you are speaking in front of my door" he observed "Who's Jester? And why are you fixing your clothers for her? Oh by the Luxon, do you have a girlfriend? "

"She's one of the member of the Mighty Nein and the one who always message me" he patiently replied to his younger brother but Essek upon hearing the other question sighed and put his hand to his forehead " you have to remember that we are respectable members of the Den Thelyss and the Kryn Dynasty and we have to give a good image "

"Honestly, Essek, they are your friends, mercenaries also from what I heart" he replied "I don't think they will be scared if you have a hair out of place"

"I guess you want to come, right?" he asked him.

"Please, spare me of this boredom" he told him "Also yes, as you younger brother I have to make sure that your first friends are real people and not the result of your boredom"

"Please, Verin, just ... behave" asked his older brother starting to lead the way.

For a few minutes both brothers walked in a reverential silence, broken by the greetings they were giving to those who greeted them, in the direction of the main entrance of the outpost where Essek knew the Mighty Nein were waiting.

"There is something you should know before meeting them" he informed him "they don't know I have a brother"

"Wait, what?" Verin sounded appropriately confused “You never told them about me? Why? Essek, do you know how that makes you look? I mean, I don't want to believe that but you seem like you want to hide me, but why? It's because you're ashamed of me?"

"It's not like that, Verin" Essek knew, of course, the reasons why he had never mentioned the existence of Verin to his friends. In the same way, he knew that he wasn't ashamed of his brother, on the contrary, although he didn't show it very often. He knew both were very different but he was proud of the man that his younger brother had become.

"Sure" Verin didn't know whether to believe him or not, he was aware of how broken their relationship was and how far apart they were, so he didn't have to be surprised that his brother hadn't even mentioned the existence of a younger brother to his friends. It wasn't like he was important, unlike him, the genius of the family, he was beginning to prove himself to his Den and the Kryn Dynasty.

“I'm afraid they would like you more” he knew how stupid that sounded out loud, what did he have to fear? Essek knew that he must stop thinking of his brother as an enemy or a competitor. He was trying to be better in many aspects of his life and his relationship with Verin was one of those things. But upon hearing his comment, his brother started to laugh.

"Essek, I'm always going to be fascinated by how smart you are for some things and how stupid you are for others" and Verin looked pretty serious talking to him and it made him feel a bit like he was talking to one of his men but sometimes he had to talk like that with his brother "why? I mean, I don't think they will like me better than you, they are your friends, not mine, I am curious about them precisely because of that, because ... could they be your first friends? I mean, you were never interested in making friends when we were younger and I don't think that had changed. And it's not like I'm like you, I'm not gonna outshine you, like I could do it "

"You're making such a fuss about it ..." Essek said nothing more and Verin doubted that the conversation was over, but he assumed that the desire to see his friends was above any fear he had.

So both brothers started their way back to wherever they were waiting, Verin, not knowing which people were going to meet, was looking at any person who was strange to him in the place or any reaction on the part of his brother, something to indicate that he recognized someone.

"So ... where are you meeting them?" he asked.

Essek went to answer but before he could open his mouth someone ran up to him and hugged him. Verin only saw a figure in different shades of blue hug his brother like a doll.

"Essek, we've missed you so much!" exclaimed a female voice that to Verin's ears sounded really excited and happy to see his brother.

"Me too, Jester," he said. And Verin hallucinated with the tenderness in his brother's voice, since when did Essek sounded that kind to someone? The last time he heard him speak that way, he was very young and came back very frustrated from one of his trainings and he encouraged him the best he could. "As I said, it's been a while ... how has everything gone ? "

"Oh, I have many things to tell you about the Traveler con!" she exclaimed.

"Maybe another time, Jester." Verin looked at the person who had just spoken, a firbolg with pink hair and a gray furr.

"Jester, you're going to break his ribs if you keep squeezing him like that" added a human girl, she was a woman of impressive stature but her voice, in contrast to her intimidating appearance was soft and sweet.

"Okaaay, sorry Essek, didn't mean to hurt you" said the tiefling releasing the drow.

"It's okay, you didn't hurt me," he told her, with the same softness as before.

"I see you're not alone in here" this time a half orc spoke, who had noticed the presence of Verin "Hello, I don't think we have met before"

"Oh you didn't," Verin admitted, because he looked at each and every one of them. The three humans, the firbolg, the tiefling, the haffling, and the half orc, and he didn't remember any of them.

"Let me introduce you" Essek then straightened up and looked at his brother and then at his friends "this is my younger brother, Verin"

Verin wasn't sure what he would have expected from that moment, well actually he would have expected them to at least know of his existence but since that hadn't been possible he observed the entire group talking at the same time in such a way that it was almost impossible to identify who was talking.

"How?" he heard at least three voices say that.

”You have a brother, Essek? How nice ”

"Where has he been all this time?"

"Does he float too?"

"He's taller than you!"

"Everyone ... let's not overwhelm him, _ja_?"

"And why are you so handsome in your family?" that was the tiefling, for sure, which came up and offered her hand "Hi, I'm Jester!"

"Hi Jester!" Verin wasn't going to lie, he had just met her and would already be able to kill for her if he asked him. He loved that lovely vitality that brimmed over.

"I like him" she said with a smile.

"It's pleasure to meet you, Verin" said the half orc "I'm Fjord, as you brother may have told you we are the Mighty Nein"

“He did, also I'm the Taskhand of Bazzoxan and months ago I heard about a group who came by and went off like a hurricane” he explained “I'm pretty sure the description match all of you, didn't know you were also the heroes of the Dynasty "

"Oh my god! You live in Bazzoxan? " Jester exclaimed "We didn't see you there!"

"Jester, I'm pretty sure he's a busy man" said the only human male.

"Also, what's a Taskhand?" asked one of the human women "I mean, we also don't know what Essek does, we just kinda accepted that he has a job but we don't shit about it"

Verin went to answer but then his brother raised his hand with a smile.

"Let me introduce you to rest of the Mighty Nein, Verin" he said "You already know Jester and Fjord" he said pointing to both.

"I'm Caduceus Clay" the firbolg "as I said, it's nice to meet you"

"I'm Beau, Exhibitor Beuregard Lionett from the Cobalt Soul but call me Beau, please" one of the human, brown hair, tan skin and dressed in blue, introduced herself.

"I'm Yasha" said the intimidating soft-spoken woman.

"And I'm Veth" said the haffling girl.

"Ja ... and I'm Caleb Widogast" the red-haired human introduced himself.

"He's my dunamancy student," Essek added proudly.

"What? Since when do you teach?" Verin was genuinely surprised and confused by that , Essek was a prodigy of dunamancy and was very protective of his work and accomplishments. That his brother decided to share it with someone was strange, very strange. This Caleb must be special if his brother had decided to teach him.

"Don't look so surprised, Verin" his brother chastised him "Until now I hadn't found anyone worthy of it"

"You flatter me, Essek" said the man. Caleb had a funny accent, clearly he was from the empire but he didn't know what part of it "I'm grateful for your help and the fact that you're willing to make time for our lessons"

“Oh, it's no trouble at all” Essek then smiled at the man. His brother smiled to somebody, Verin was freaking out. what in the Umbra Gates was going on?

"I see" he observed. But no, there was something that he didn't quite understand, there was something between his brother and Caleb that escapes him or perhaps he suspected it but he was so surprised by everything in general that adding something else would have made his brain explode "Well, it's a pleasure , to meet you, all of you. Believe me when I tell you that I didn't expect my brother to have friends as ... colorful as you ”and weirds , he added in his mind it seemed as if each of them had a long story to tell. He would have liked to hear more about them but something told him this wasn't the time for it.

"We would love to talk to you more" said Caleb "but ... we are in a rush"

"Yes, you mentioned something like that to me," Essek admitted.

"What's going on? " He asked. Verin knew that he didn't have the same kind of knowledge as his brother but he wasn't an idiot either, over the years he had gained experience in fields different from his brother's and perhaps he could be of help.

All the members of the Mighty Nein then looked at Verin and then at Essek, perhaps waiting for what he had to say.

"It's okay, you can trust him" he told them.

"Yeah, but it's better if we talk in a more private place" asked Fjord "we aren't being watched right now but I don't know if they're going to try again later"

"Yeah, probably it's for the better that they don't know what we are up to," added Beau.

"I can arrange that, to be honest" Caleb told them "I can cast the spell when we are in a room"

"Okaaay ... what is happening?" Verin was both confused and curious.

"The Nonagon, right?" Essek asked them.

“Yes” Yasha admitted, with a hint of sorrow in her voice “we need your help with him”

"We need to stop him" added Veth "because it may be the end of everything we know if we don't"

"That is worrying" observed his brother "then follow us, if there is anything we can do, we will be happy to help"

There was something happening between them , something was going on. He could feel it, in the way they seemed to talk about that Nonagon, there was sorrow in their voices and in their expressions, did they know him and he had betrayed them? Verin could only imagine what had happened, at least until he could learn the truth after the visit of the Mighty Nein and who it was that enemy that seemed to affect them so much and how it could end up the world.

**Author's Note:**

> I love writing about Essek and Verin so muuuch.
> 
> Thanks for reading!!


End file.
